A GRANDMOTHER has been left wheelchair-bound after a failed hip operation carried out by French doctor in a private hospital under a scheme to cut NHS waiting lists.

Lillian Randall had her operation at Chester's Grosvenor Nuf-field Hospital as part of a Government initiative.

Mrs Randall, 76, had waited almost a year before being offered the chance to 'go private'.

An independent investigation found the surgeon broke her pelvis by using too much force and she is likely to remain in a wheelchair for the rest of her life.

Mrs Randall, of Appleton Road, Upton, who is suing the Grosvenor Nuffield, said: 'It's very upsetting. I get very tearful and I'm in a lot of pain at night.'

Mrs Randall, whose husband was born in France, had hoped the hip replacement would give her a new lease of life after suffering from osteoarthritis.

Instead she had to endure three more operations and spend six months recovering in hospital and at a nursing home.

Mrs Randall relies heavily on her husband, Francis. She uses a walking frame and wheelchair. He described the whole experience as 'traumatic'.

Mrs Randall's solicitor, Paul Sankey, of Russell, Jones & Walker, said: 'The Nuffield's audit was hugely critical of the French surgeon who has done more harm than good and the Nuffield has admitted breach of duty. Questions must be asked as to the accountability of such foreign surgery teams.'

'The plain fact is that Mrs Randall will spend the rest of her life in a wheelchair when she ought to have fully recovered from what was meant to be a routine operation.'

Health minister Jane Kennedy said in a response to Chester MP Christine Russell: 'We need still further capacity if we are able to treat more NHS patients more quickly. It is why we signed an historic concordat that allows the NHS to use spare capacity in private sector hospitals to treat NHS patients.'

A Grosvenor Nuffield Hospital spokesman expressed regret that

Mrs Randall had required further corrective treatment.

He said: 'At the time of his recruitment, Dr Ramborum was a fully registered medical practitioner with the General Medical Council UK (GMC) and on the specialist register.

'As soon as Nuffield Hospitals became aware of this incident a full investigation was under-taken. Nuffield Hospitals has reported their investigation findings to the GMC and the Director of Public Health.'